From productivity to email to operating systems to mobile to hardware, David Gewirtz is no longer actively using Microsoft products. He's not a Microsoft hater. The transition just happened organically as he adopted products that better served his needs.

There are a number of excellent high end smartphones available today and most will satisfy buyers. Matthew updated his September list with some new candidates and a bit of reshuffling based on hands-on experiences.

Smartphones make great gifts for tech-minded dads and students achieving their goals. Here are five handsets to consider for each group -- including one device that makes an ideal choice for either dad or grad.

I had the opportunity to capture photos with the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8), LG G2, Apple iPhone 5s, Nokia Lumia Icon, and Nokia Lumia 1020. They all take great photos, but I did notice some differences.

Windows Phone 8.1 was released as a Developer Preview today and some of the latest and greatest can be seen in these screenshots. You can download and test out this update on your Windows Phone device today.

Nokia now has Windows Phone devices with internal specs matching the leading smartphones. They take it further with their advanced camera, fantastic display, and more and the Lumia Icon is an excellent smartphone to consider.